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Musee de Tradition de l'Aeronautique Navale at Rochefort

	Musée de Tradition de l'Aeronautique Navale Located on the former Naval Air Base in Rochefort-Soubise, which trained generations of mechanics for the Aeronavale. At the moment the base houses the Ecole de Gendarmerie who occupied the bas after the navy left in 1996. The Museum of Naval Aviation is the idea of a group of former navy personnel and aviation enthusiasts trying to keep the history of the French naval aviation available for younger generations to learn about and to be inspired by. The hangars housing the museum used to be the centre of the CEAN (Centre School of Naval Aviation) training technicians for the Aeronavale. After years of uncertainty the future of the museum seems fixed as budgets are made available from several sources for the acquisition of two hangars, the old control tower and grounds in order to have direct access separated from the school grounds of Ecole de Gendarmerie. Since December 1999, when a storm hit the Atlantic coast and flooded parts of the base and the museum, the museum has been closed to the general public. But visits on tuesdays can be made by prior arrangement. On arrival at the museum location the first plane you will see is a Nord 262A displayed next to the main hangar.

The main part of the collection is housed in the old airship hangar, a magnificent building from 1919. The collection is not a complete representation of planes used by the Aeronavale , but is still very interesting and has some unique pieces. The collection includes; Br.1050 Alizé , SV4C Stampe, Jaguar M05 (single prototype), 02 prototype of Super-Etendard ,Dewoitine D .520,Neptune P2V-7 ,Bell 47D,MD.312 Flamant,C-47D Dakota, MH.1521 Broussard, Aquilon Mk 203, CM.175 Zephyr, SNB-5, PA-31 Navajo, HSS-1, H-21C, SNJ. The collection is still growing latest additions are so a F-8 Crusader from 12 F (No 11) from Landivisiau and a Super Frelon from Lanvéoc Poulmic. Next to the planes there is one of the large collections of (rare) models, engines and other memorabilia.

The other part of the collection is stored in the second hangar which is in use as store / repair hanger. In front of this hangar there are a Etendard IV M and two CM 175 Zephyr displayed outside. Like most of the aircraft here they are old instructional airframes the technical school of mechanics. (foto)

We want to thank the volunteers who have guided us through this beautiful museum and we will definitely come back if the collection is open to the general public.

A summary of the available aircraft in the Musée de l'Aeronautique Navale de Tradition

056/CAN-7

709

F-ZBAR

294

650

716

144688

CAN-16

3820

H20

925

M05/J

150

160

Agusta-Bell AB47G

Beech JRB-4 Expeditor

Beech SNB-5 Navigator

Brequet Br1050 Alize

Caudron C-800 Epervier

Consolidated PBY-5A Canso

Dassault Etendard 4M

Dassault Super Etendard

Dassault MD312 Flamant

Dewoitine D520

Douglas C-47D Dakota

Fouga CM175 Zephyr

Lockheed SP-2H Neptune

Max Holste MH1521M Broussard

Morane Saulnier MS760 Paris

Nord N262A

North American T-6D Texan

Piasecki H-21C Banane

Piper PA31-350 Navajo

SEPECAT Jaguar M

Sikorsky HSS-1

SNCASE Aquilon 203

Stampe Vertongen SV-4C

Sud Aviation Alouette 2

Sud Aviation Alouette 2 (fuselage)

Sud Aviation SA321G Super Frelon

Vought Crusader F8P

Westland Lynx HAS.2(FN)

Westland Lynx (instruction)